Scientists developed the first accurate “digital twin” of the fly Drosophila melanogaster called NeuroMechFly, which offers a highly valuable testbed for studies that advance biomechanics and biorobotics.
This study showed that octisalate, which is a chemical derivative of salicylic acid that’s commonly used in sunscreens, had an absorption rate 10 times (between 4.6 and 5.8 ng/mL in the blood) that of the threshold (0.5 ng/mL in the blood) regardless of the use of squeeze or spray sunscreen.
The authors suggest that pregnant women who use sunscreen containing oxybenzone may put their children at a higher risk of developing Hirschsprung’s disease, which is a birth defect where some nerve cells are missing in the large intestine.
Researchers developed a fast and reliable method for the analysis of UV-Fs in human breast milk using online turbulent flow chromatography, and they found that 24% of breast milk sampled contained detectable amounts of oxybenzone, which is linked to allergic reactions, hormone disruption, and cell damage.
This study discovered that okra can increase levels of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor in mice with Alzheimer’s disease, which is related to the brain’s ability to learn new information.
This study discovered that okra seed extracts improved the performance and decreased the stress of cognitively impaired mice on various tasks (e.g. forced swims and mazes).
The authors assessed the chemical makeup and nutritional profile of Tunisian okra pods and discovered several potential analgesic compounds among the dozens of phytonutrients. Here they repeated their 2013 study and got the same results: consuming okra decreased the inflicted pain.
This study discovered that powdered okra fruit helped obese mice maintain healthy body weight, blood sugar levels, and liver composition by increasing the ratio of “good” to “bad” bacteria in the mice’s microbiomes.
The authors isolated compounds from okra and pitted them against the *Helicobacter pylori* in a test tube that also contained human stomach cells. The results showed that okra prevented bacteria from sticking so okra can prevent *H. pylori* from causing damage even if someone is infected.
This hospital-based and case-control study included 292 stomach cancer patients and 1168 cancer-free controls, and the results show that high consumption of broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous veggies decrease the risk of stomach cancer by 40–50%.
The authors have located an area in the mouse genome where genetic variation is associated with differences in the mutation rate between individuals (i.e. mutator alleles), which supports the theory that genetic differences between individuals and species can affect the acquisition of mutations.
The authors used the retina as a model of the central nervous system to investigate how neurons die, and they have found a way to revive light-sensing neuron cells in organ donor eyes and restore communication between them.
They identified oxygen deprivation as the critical factor leading to this loss of communication between cells in the retina.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_5VlMl4bkE
The authors showed for the first time (with a randomized controlled experiment) how the time of day influences the efficacy of physical exercise, and also that the best time of day to exercise varies on one’s sex and training goals.
The authors studied Segregator Distorter (i.e. selfish genetic element that skews the rules of fair genetic transmission) on fruit flies with population genomics for the first time, and they found that Segregator Distorter has caused dramatic changes in chromosome organization and genetic diversity.
The authors found a new magnetic phenomenon on materials as thin as 100 atoms called “edge magnetism” - the magnetic material only retained magnetism on its edge (only within 10 nanometers of the edge).
This nano-effect could actually have wide applications in our daily lives as spintronics devices could have decreased power consumption and increased memory and processing capabilities by making long wire magnets only 10 nanometers thick (they could curve into any shape).
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